St. James Winery has always drawn inspiration for its award winning wines from the spirit of the early Italian immigrants who settled the area around St. James, Missouri, during the late 1800s. Now with the introduction their Frontier Selection label, St. James Winery is re-branding five of its award-winning varietal wines — Cynthiana, Estate Norton, Moscato, Riesling, and Vignoles — and developing two new dry wine blends, Pioneer Red and Pioneer White.

“We’re very excited about our Frontier Selections line for many reasons,” said Peter Hofherr, CEO of St. James Winery. “Since St. James Winery first opened its doors, we have pioneered the art of creating award-winning wines made from hybrid and native grape varietals. People talk about the wine frontier of South America or the South Pacific, but it’s also right here in Missouri. Because the wine frontier is any emerging wine region, and the Ozark Highlands of Missouri where we grow and make our wines is definitely the wine frontier.”

Within the Frontier Selections family there are two new dry wine blends — Pioneer Red and Pioneer White — which are named in honor of two Missouri wine pioneers. “Because we’re a family-owned winery, we believed it was important to honor the contributions of my parents, Jim & Patricia Hofherr, who founded St. James Winery more than forty years ago,” Hofherr said. “Pioneer Red and Pioneer White are perfect tributes to their entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering contributions to winemaking in Missouri.”

Pioneer White blends Chardonel, Seyval, and Vignoles to create a wine with smoky oak and pineapple aromas with zesty gooseberry and kiwi on the palate. Crisp balanced acid and a lively finish. Pioneer Red blends Norton, Chambourcin, and Rougeon grapes for a bright crimson wine with intense, layered flavors of plums, dark cherries and spicy oak.

“Another thing we’re very excited about with the Frontier Selections brand is the introduction of bottles with a carbonless footprint package,” Hofherr said. “Our labels are screen printed on the bottles using an organic, soy-based inks that are environmentally friendly, free of heavy metals, cadmium, solvents, and volative organic compounds (VOC). Because these are 100% recyclable through the traditional waste management process, the bottles are very eco-friendly. We chose the design to reflect the region and heritage of St. James Winery: the one-room schoolhouse and the rolling Ozark Highlands.”

St. James Winery is the largest and most awarded winery in Missouri. Founded by the Hofherr family in 1970, St. James Winery celebrates more than 40 years as a family owned and operated winery. St. James Winery’s award-winning wines are sold in 19 states.